Hanover County will negotiate with Good Neighbor Homes to establish a public-private partnership to operate the county’s three homes for people with developmental disabilities.

The Board of Supervisors unanimously endorsed the choice Wednesday to end a year of concern among families and advocates of the 12 clients who currently live in the county-operated facilities.

The county had proposed the change last year to address budget shortfalls but backed away after protests. The county budgeted $100,000 from its reserves to keep the homes operating for another year but asked for a study of the public-private arrangement.